Homemade ghee – Instant Pot

Ghee, a staple in Indian cooking, is popular for its high-smoke point and nutty, toasted flavor. The best and purest ghee is the one that is homemade from grass-fed, organic, unsalted butter.

What is Ghee?

Ghee is unsalted butter than has been cooked. The cooking process melts the butter, which separates the milk solids from the yellow liquid.

Sometimes also known as clarified butter, ghee is actually clarified butter that has been simmered down longer to the point where the milk solids cook a bit, giving the butter a nutty brown hue, and a roasted flavor.

Ghee has a much higher smoke point that regular butter, and it has a longer shelf life. It can be stored at room temperature or can be refrigerated for extended shelf life.

Ghee has high smoke point which makes it ideal for sautéing and frying.

Ghee can be used to most recipes that call for butter or oil.

Why homemade ghee?

Although, ghee is sold in many stores, it is very easy to make it at home and once you have tried this homemade version, you will not go back to the store bought. The aroma and flavor of the ghee made using unsalted Irish kerry gold butter is simply divine and always takes me back to my mom’s kitchen in India.

I have been making stove top version of ghee for 15+ years. Last few years, I have started making ghee in my Instant Pot using the Saute(normal) option. Although stove-top version works well, I was never able to tell the exact time and temperature at which ghee will be perfectly cooked.

Depending on the temperature of the butter, total time to make ghee could take 9 to 11 minutes. Here in the photos below, it shows the process every 2 to 3 minutes and the different stages the butter goes through. Turn the Instant Pot off when you see all that white, milky froth disappear.

The Ghee will continue to cook for next 2 to 3 minutes as the Instant Pot gradually cools down. Note: If your ghee already looks like step 8 below, take the inner pot out and place on a hot plate to cool down so it does not cook further.

Allow the ghee to cool down completely before straining it.

There are few recipes out there with slow cooker version of ghee in Instant Pot and I am sure they all work great. I usually do not have time or patience to spend 2-3 hours in slow cooking mode. So here is a quick 10-minute method that makes perfect ghee with 16 oz of unsalted butter. If you are doubling the recipe you will need 15 mins of cook time in the Instant Pot.

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Ghee, a staple in Indian cooking, is popular for its high-smoke point and nutty, toasted flavor. The best and purest ghee is the one that is home-made from grass-fed, organic, unsalted butter

Course: Misc.

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: homemade ghee

Servings: 16

Calories: 203kcal

Author: Archana

Ingredients

16OzUnsalted ButterIrish Kerrygold

Instructions

Set the Instant Pot to Saute (NORMAL). To change the settings on Sauté mode either press the adjust button or press Sauté button multiple times to switch between less, normal and more modes.

Add the butter to the Instant Pot. Butter will start to melt, then turn milky & frothy. After about 8 to 9 minutes, depending on the temperature of the butter when you first added to the instant pot, the froth will start to disappear. You will see transparent bubbles being formed and should be able to see the bottom of the pot. Turn the Instant Pot off at this point.

The Ghee will continue to cook for next 2 to 3 minutes as the Instant Pot gradually cools down. Note: If the bottom of the pot looks brownish, take the inner pot out and place on a hot plate to cool down so it does not cook further.

Allow the ghee to cool down completely. Then strain the ghee using a strainer or cheese cloth into a clean and dry glass jar. Stored at room temperature or can be refrigerated for extended shelf life.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Note: If the bottom of the pot looks brownish, take the inner pot out and place on a hot plate to cool down so it does not cook further.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot ghee

Amount Per Serving

Calories 203Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 14g70%

Cholesterol 60mg20%

Sodium 3mg0%

Potassium 6mg0%

Vitamin A14.2%

Calcium0.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here is a link to my stove top version of homemade ghee. I use ghee in most of my cooking and baking.

Here are some of my favorite recipes using ghee:

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Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live New Jersey with my husband and two sons.

Would lining a sieve with a paper coffee filter be sufficient? Or should I go purchase one of the reusable coffee mesh sieves? Thank you for this recipe, by the way. Looking forward to making it tonight!!

Gerry, Did you cook in Instant Pot or Stove top? When the cooking finishes you should almost be able to see thru the bottom. Once it cools down it does start to thicken up depending on the temperature in the area where you store it. Either ways I am pretty sure it will be good.

Thank you for this post. After several failed attempts on stovetop finally i got the ghee i always wanted to prepare.i am a busy mom so it is hard tp babysit the ghee but this one was awesome, 10 minutes only job. Never buying ghee from store when its so easy to make with clean ingredients amd cheaper too. Thanks again!!

Yes clean up is easy!! In fact, one time after the ghee was done I put some separately washed dalia and moong dal with water into the same pot and put it to manual 8 minutes. Dalia Khichdi with nice aroma of ghee was ready for dinner 🙂 thank you for your recipes. I have shared your blog with my friends too who are new to the world of IP. I eagerly wait for your vegetarian recipes cooked in IP.

Hello! May I know what is the advantage of doing it in IP? I am curious because I have always done it on stove top for years and it has come out well. Just trying to understand the differences and advantages.

Hi, Using IP is just another way of cooking ghee. If you know the exact stove-top timing and temperature and can make it consistently then you can continue making it on the stove top. With Instant Pot I know the ghee will be ready in exactly 15 mins for 16 oz of butter I use. I have burnt a couple of batches on the stove top as I forgot about it. So with IP since I always start the timer as soon as I press the sauté button. Also I know setting it to normal does not need me to intervene the process.

Followed your directions exactly, but mine is brown after straining rather than yellow like yours. Did I burn it by letting it cool too long? Should I have strained it right away? Is it still okay to use?

Normal is not a preset but is part of the sauté mode. In older models press sauté and then adjust and you will see the display toggle between normal, less and more. For newer models you press sauté and each time you press the setting will toggle

SAMANTHA PIGGINS (and others) – Aside from the Custom setting, Low, Medium, and High on the IP Ultra correspond to Less, Normal, and More on the older IP models. (The older models don’t have a Custom setting, of course.) Conclusion: When Archana refers to “Normal”, this means “Medium” on the IP Ultra.

I made 32 oz with 15 mins timer, I was watching it carefully but last min kids distracted and I felt it burnt, I removed insert from pot, and when I strained it the left over solids were brown and the strained ghee smells like caramel.. do you think it is still good ? And can I store it at room temperature?

Thanks for the recipe Archana! This is the quickest ever I have made ghee! A little tip( from a grandma) for beginners – add 2 curry leaves towards the end and when they turn crunchy and are crackling, then that’s the point that the ghee is done and you can transfer it (to avoid over browning).

Hi Archana! I am so excited that I made ghee and it was so easy. Thanks for this wonderful (and time saving!) recipe. My ghee is just cooking in the mason jar and I thought I saw a few solids in the bottom of the jar. Is this normal or am I being paranoid? Lol. I did use a fine mesh strainer. So just to be sure, I strained it again into another mason jar. Thanks!

HI Archana, I followed the same method and used kirklands unsalted butter. But I did not see black residue at the bottom instead it was white sticky residue left at the bottom. I poured ghee in the bottle. Do I have to boil it again?

I made ghee. 32 oz. It took 15 minutes. Came out good. Slow cook is too slow for me. I needed fast to make Mohan Thaal. I used to make on stove top last 45 years. Now no more stove top. Thank you Archana

Hi There, thank you so much for sharing this method of preparing ghee. I used double the quantity of butter for mine (unsalted and refrigerated). At 15 mins mark there were still some milk solids floating up top so I let it go couple more minutes but then the whole mixture turned all bubbly and rise almost to the top of the insert:( I turned my IP off and now it’s settled but dark in color. Is it safe to consume it, did I burn it ?

Hi Laika, So the ghee continues to cook even after you turn off the Instant Pot. I am pretty sure its is safe to consume, infant it will be even more aromatic and nuttier. Just filter the brown solids and allow it to cool. Once cooled it will solidify and will be much lighter in color.

Tried making this today and about 5 minutes in, the pot started splashing hot butter everywhere. I promptly turned it off and unplugged it. Any thoughts on what went wrong? I double checked and it was on Saute and the normal setting… I have the IP Smart.

Hi Monica, Was the Instant Pot completely dry? Any moisture/water content can cause the butter to splatter as you heat it. You can keep a glass lid on it as it continues to cook. If there is already water content in the pot there is nothing you can do. the only way is to allow it to evaporate which means it will splatter. This also happens with stove top cooking. Also sometimes the butter if kept at room temps can have condensation around it which causes it to splatter when heated. I hope you are able to salvage the ghee. Please keep me posted.

Thanks so much! It was dry but the butter had been out for a bit so the condensation could be the culprit. I read your notes about making it straight from the fridge after it had already been out some. Unfortunately I ended up tossing the result since it never fully solidified and since my daughter is allergic to dairy, I was worried there may still be milk solids that caused it. Thanks so much again for the response and I’ll try again without letting the butter cool at all.

Yes condensation on the butter could be the reason. Also ghee sometime does not solidify at room temperature. You can keep it in the fridge for that. As long as you have browned bits at the bottom of the pot after cooking the butter you are good to strain and use the ghee.

Love your book!! Wanted to give back to you, so here’s an even quicker and easier way which doesn’t require any stirring or babysitting whatsoever.

Put 1-2 pounds of Kerrygold unsalted in IP. 14 minutes, venting (not sealing), steam (+more). Ignore any burn warning (but I never get this with this recipe, my friend with IP lux got it but did fine ignoring it). Immediately do QR once the IP beeps and 14 minutes is over — all the milk solids will be roasted and be at the top. Filter it immediately and get a nice light golden ghee.

Hi! I am not sure if crockpot cooktimes. But you can cook until the butter looks clear and you start to see golden brown bits forming at the bottom. You can also cook in stovetop at medium heat it should take 10 to 15 mins

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Hi, I'm Archana! I'm a techie by trade but chef by heart. Welcome to my world of home cooking, crafts and most importantly, family experiences. Here you'll get doses of my family's daily meals. My step by step recipes will help you easily transport the flavors of India, Thailand, China and all over the world from my kitchen to yours.